


Day 1: Birthday

by broadwaylovinghooman



Series: Nico di Angelo Birthday Week 2021 [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Birthday, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Nico Birthday Week 2021, Nico di Angelo's Birthday, TW: Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29048169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadwaylovinghooman/pseuds/broadwaylovinghooman
Summary: Nico di Angelo Birthday Week 2021 Day 1: Birthday
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: Nico di Angelo Birthday Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131101
Kudos: 31





	Day 1: Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first thing I've written in a while, but I really wanted to participate in Nico's birthday week this year!
> 
> TW: Panic attack

Nico woke slowly, pleasantly surprised at the amount of sleep he got last night. For the first time in a while, he wasn’t plagued by nightmares during his rest. He rolled his shoulders, satisfied with the cracking sound it created. His eyelids drooped lazily as he stretched. He snuggled into the warm comforter that Will insisted he buy, but he was still cold. Luckily Nico slept next to a human space heater. 

He rolled over, all set to snuggle into his beautiful boyfriend, but Will wasn’t there. He groaned softly at the absence of the son of Apollo. He thought nothing else of it, just wrapping himself up in his blanket and rolling back over to face away from the door. 

It was not unusual for Will to be gone when Nico woke up in the morning. Being head healer came with its perks, but also its disadvantages. One of those being he was forced to take shifts at times none of his siblings would cover. That meant a lot of graveyard and early morning shifts for Will, and not enough cuddle time with his boyfriend for Nico. 

He knew Will would come and find him in time for breakfast, so he tried to get back to sleep. Keyword tried. The sunlight streaming through the window was enough to keep his senses too alert to fall back into the land of Morpheus. He yielded to the fact that he wasn’t going to get any more sleep today. 

Nico rolled out of bed, still wrapped up in his blanket burrito. He attempted to untangle himself from the comforter. It took him longer than he would like to admit (with far too many nosedives to the ground) for him to free himself of his blanket prison. Once he was untangled, he staggered to his feet and started to get ready for the day. 

Nico took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and pulled on his usual skull shirt and black ripped jeans. Just as he was about to walk out the door, he was hit by a vague feeling that something was special about today. He ran through a list of important events in his head, but nothing stuck. Will and his anniversary wasn’t until summer, and Will’s birthday was in august. He couldn’t think of anything that could be causing the feeling of forgetfulness. Nico walked over to his dresser and pulled out a small rainbow pin that Will had gotten for him when they started dating. He turned it over in his hand, losing himself in the memory. 

***PJOHOOTOA***

It had been a little over three weeks since he had confessed his feelings to Will and they started dating. Nico was still struggling with simple things, like show affection in public. They had yet to kiss. He could tell that Will was getting annoyed with his aversion to physical touch. He never said it out loud, but Nico could see the hurt in his eyes when Nico flinched away from his touch. He didn’t understand where Nico came from. Will about the Lotus Hotel, but he didn’t understand the extent of it. He didn’t realize how hard it was for him to just disregard everything he had learned as a child. How difficult it was to do something that would get him arrested where he came from. 

Nico was trying, but he knew that eventually wouldn’t be enough for Will. Will would want more. He would want to kiss him and cuddle him and hold hands at the campfire. Nico didn’t deserve someone like Will. He was so amazing and Nico was so… not. He knew it was only a matter of time before Will realized he deserves someone better than Nico. 

They had been having a picnic in the strawberry fields when Will had given him the pin. Nico was eating quietly, afraid he was going to make a mistake and Will was going to leave him. Will reached out for his hand, slowly enough that Nico could pull away if he wanted to. Nico didn’t. Will smiled when their hands made contact. It felt good to make him happy. 

“Nico,” he started, “we need to talk.” Nico felt himself tense up. This was it. Will was going to leave him. He knew it was only a matter of time but he thought he might last at least another week. His breathing started to quicken and he felt himself going into a panic attack. 

His thoughts ran at a mile a minute. What had he done? He’d been so careful. He went on dates, and sat with Will at the campfire, and hung out with him whenever he was free. Oh gods, was he too overbearing? Of course he was. He’d thought he wasn’t giving Will enough, but really, he was giving him too much. Will had gotten sick of him. Now he hated him. Oh gods, he hated him. He was going to leave just like everyone else in his life. Nico deserved nothing. He was worthless. He was-

“NICO!” Will shouted, his face full of worry and alarm. “You have to breathe. Come on, follow me.” He took Nico’s hand and placed it on his chest. He took exaggerated breaths that Nico struggled to follow. He eventually fell into a shaky rhythm. His breaths finally slowed, but his heart remained racing. He looked down at the ground and waited for Will to seal his fate. 

“Nico,” Will said softly, “what…” Nico glanced up at Will’s face as his concerned expression dissolved into complete horror.

“Oh gods, that sounded like a breakup line didn’t it? No, Nico, I- Gods. I swear on the River Styx I am not breaking up with you right now.” Thunder sounded in the distance as Nico’s eyes widened. 

“I just wanted to talk to you about- you know what? Talking’s not working for me right now. I just wanted to give you this.” Will pulled a small, multicolored object from his pocket and pressed it into Nico’s hand. Nico looked down to find a rainbow pin in the shape of a flag. He looked back up at Will in confusion. He looked sheepishly back at him. 

“I know you probably don’t know what this is, being where you’re from and all. It’s a symbol that’s used a lot nowadays. It represents LGBTQ+, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc, pride. You don’t have to wear it, but I thought it might help you accept yourself.”

Nico stared at Will for a minute. Then he launched himself at him, embracing him in a brief, but powerful hug. When he pulled back, his eyes returned to the ground. 

“So you’re really not breaking up with me?” he asked quietly. 

Will put his hand on Nico’s knee. “Not now, or anytime soon.”

***PJOHOOTOA***

Nico pulled himself from his reverie and stuffed the pin in his pocket, just in case. He usually only wore it for special occasions, but he still had the feeling that something was different about today. 

He flew open his cabin door and recoiled at the sunlight burning his retinas. He shielded his eyes with his arm and started towards the infirmary. He decided to say good morning to Will before grabbing breakfast. 

As he was walking, he could tell something was wrong, but it wasn’t until he reached the infirmary that he could tell what it was. He stepped out of the sun into the bright fluorescent lights and froze. 

Looking around, Nico saw a completely empty infirmary. Now, it wasn’t that unusual for it to be free of injured campers during the months, but there was almost always an Apollo kid hanging around, doing paperwork or organizing the supply closet. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen a single camper all morning. He ran back outside and noticed that the camp was eerily silent. He dashed around camp, attempting to find a single person. But there was no one. There were no Ares kids attempting to brave the climbing wall. No Demeter children in the strawberry fields. No Aphrodites kids gossiping around the campfire or people sparring in the arena. Nico got so desperate, he started checking inside the cabins. But they were all empty. 

He eventually gave in and walked to the Big House. Normally he avoided it like the plague, never wanting to get pulled into the infamous pinochle games played between Chiron and Mr. D. But he had no choice. 

Nico braced himself and opened the door. He found only darkness inside. He was about to leave when he heard a small scuffle. He placed a hand on his sword and crept in farther. Once he was about three feet inside, the lights flickered on. 

He heard a chorus of “SURPRISE” as he stumbled back, bracing himself against the wall. He looked up to see all of Camp Half-Blood standing inside the Big House.

Nico tilted his head in confusion. “What’s all this for?”

Will bounded forward out of the crowd and threw his arm around Nico’s shoulders. He pointed up at the banner hanging across the ceiling and said, “It’s your birthday, silly.”

Nico was still confused. “It’s not my… Wait what’s the date?”

Will’s eyebrows scrunched up in concern. “The 28th... are you feeling okay?

Nico’s eyes widened. “It is my birthday isn’t it?” He swatted away Will’s hand as he tried to place it on his forehead. “I’m fine. It’s just… I haven’t celebrated my birthday since before Bianca died.”

Will pulled him closer and placed a kiss on his forehead. “Well, we should change that, shouldn’t we.” To the crowd, he said louder, “Now who wants cake?” Cheering erupted from the demigods.

It was the best birthday Nico had ever had.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!


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